Thephrasewasutteredquickly，andwithasharpsounduponthefirstandlastwords，leavingthemiddleonelittlemorethananaspiration。
Likeallitscompeerswhichhadbeenextensivelypopular，itwasapplicabletoalmosteveryvarietyofcircumstance。Theloversofaplainanswertoaplainquestiondidnotlikeitatall。Insolencemadeuseofittogiveoffence；ignorance，toavoidexposingitself；
andwaggery，tocreatelaughter。Everynewcomerintoanalehousetap-roomwasaskedunceremoniously，“Whoareyou？“andifhelookedfoolish，scratchedhishead，anddidnotknowwhattoreply，shoutsofboisterousmerrimentresoundedoneveryside。Anauthoritativedisputantwasnotunfrequentlyputdown，andpresumptionofeverykindcheckedbythesamequery。Whenitspopularitywasatitsheight，agentleman，feelingthehandofathiefinhispocket，turnedsuddenlyround，andcaughthimintheact，exclaiming，“Whoareyou？“Themobwhichgatheredroundapplaudedtotheveryecho，andthoughtitthemostcapitaljoketheyhadeverheard——theveryacmeofwit——theveryessenceofhumour。Anothercircumstance，ofasimilarkind，gaveanadditionalfilliptothephrase，andinfusednewlifeandvigourintoit，justasitwasdyingaway。Thesceneoccurredinthechiefcriminalcourtofthekingdom。Aprisonerstoodatthebar；theoffencewithwhichhehadbeenchargedwasclearlyprovedagainsthim；
hiscounselhadbeenheard，notinhisdefence，butinextenuation，insistinguponhispreviousgoodlifeandcharacter，asreasonsforthelenityofthecourt。“Andwhereareyourwitnesses？“inquiredthelearnedjudgewhopresided。“Pleaseyou，myLord，Iknowstheprisoneratthebar，andamorehonesterfellerneverbreathed，“saidaroughvoiceinthegallery。Theofficersofthecourtlookedaghast，andthestrangerstitteredwithill-suppressedlaughter。“Whoareyou？“saidtheJudge，lookingsuddenlyup，butwithimperturbablegravity。Thecourtwasconvulsed；thetitterbrokeoutintoalaugh，anditwasseveralminutesbeforesilenceanddecorumcouldberestored。WhentheUshersrecoveredtheirself-possession，theymadediligentsearchfortheprofanetransgressor；buthewasnottobefound。Nobodyknewhim；
nobodyhadseenhim。Afterawhilethebusinessofthecourtagainproceeded。Thenextprisonerbroughtupfortrialauguredfavourablyofhisprospectswhenhelearnedthatthesolemnlipsoftherepresentativeofjusticehadutteredthepopularphraseasifhefeltandappreciatedit。Therewasnofearthatsuchajudgewoulduseundueseverity；hisheartwaswiththepeople；heunderstoodtheirlanguageandtheirmanners，andwouldmakeallowancesforthetemptationswhichdrovethemintocrime。Sothoughtmanyoftheprisoners，ifwemayinferitfromthefact，thatthelearnedjudgesuddenlyacquiredanimmenseincreaseofpopularity。Thepraiseofhiswitwasineverymouth，and“Whoareyou？“reneweditslease，andremainedinpossessionofpublicfavourforanotherterminconsequence。